Sunday, December 30, 2012

Book Review: Vanished by Irene Hannon

A tenacious reporter. A skeptical PI. And a secret that will shatter lives.Reporter
Moira Harrison is lost. In the dark. In a thunderstorm. When a lone
figure suddenly appears in the beam of her headlights, Moira slams on
her brakes--but it's too late. She feels the solid thump against the
side of her car before crashing into a tree on the far side of the road.

A man opens her door, tells her he saw everything, and promises
to call 911. Then the world fades to black. When she comes to, she is
alone. No man. No 911. No injured person. But she can't forget the look
of terror she saw on that face in the instant before her headlights
swung away. And she can't get anyone to believe her story--except maybe a
handsome ex-homicide detective turned private eye, who reluctantly
agrees to take on the case.

As clues begin to surface, it becomes
obvious that someone doesn't want this mystery solved--and will stop at
nothing to protect a shocking secret.Ever since I ploughed through Irene Hannon's previous six books in the Romance Suspense Genre, I've been really keen to read Vanished and I wasn't disappointed.

First offeverything about this book is more subtle - the action, romance, faith, even the crimes being committed is subtle - but it holds the reader's attention. As the mystery slowly unravels regarding Moira's vanishing good Samaritan and the lone figure on the road we see puzzle pieces fit into place. It was really fun trying to figure out where the mystery was going and how it all came together. During this time we see Moira and Cal get to know each other.

Elements of faith is included but not touched on in any depth, rather it is shown through Cal's value of justice and Moira's value on truth. Together, readers can get an idea of what values God holds.

What I really loved was the romance between Moira and Cal. The chemistry was there, but Hannon held back, just a whisper of a touch here and there. Keeping Moria and Cal from crossing the professional line during the case was wonderfully done. It made me really appreciate the relationship they had built up over the course of the novel.

Overall, the book really grabbed my attention because it quietly revealed itself as the pages went by, quietly telling its story and entrancing me from beginning to end.

I'm looking forward to reading more in the Private Justice Series.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this novel for review. I was in no way obliged to give a positive review.

Jess' favourite genre is contemporary women's fiction and contemporary romance fiction. She also enjoys historical fiction with a focus on romance. She loves books set in country towns or farms with a cowboy featured in either historical or contemporary settings.

She is currently writing her first novel, a contemporary women's fiction/romance set in a small country town.